BREWER – What looked like an average November day at best was near perfect for the 431 runners taking part in the 23rd annual Brewer High School Turkey Trot.

Sunday’s overcast skies, temperatures in the high 40s, negligible wind, and slight mist were welcome conditions, especially for the more experienced runners.

Even Old Town High School junior Cassie Hintz, who prefers warmer weather, flourished as she accomplished a big goal by shattering the course record for female runners by finishing the 5-kilometer race in 17 minutes, 12 seconds – 13 seconds better than Katie Martin’s 1983 mark.

“I guess after two miles, I was under 11 minutes and felt like I had a good shot at it. I’ve been wanting to break this record since the summer,” Hintz said. “I didn’t actually know the record was that fast.”

The men’s race was anything but a cakewalk for Bar Harbor’s Judson Cake as he caught up with early leader Jeff Caron with less than a mile to go and finally overtook him about 100 yards from the finish line to win his third race title.

It was a bit of an ironic turn for the former University of Maine runner.

“When I ran with them in college, it was more behind them than anything, believe it or not,” said Cake, referring to UMaine runners Jeff Caron and Andy Caron. It was great having them here just to have the competition. I guess I really didn’t blossom or whatever until after college, ironically.”

Evan Graves was third with a 15:43 and Edward (Andy) Caron, a UMaine senior from Brunswick, was fourth (15:59).

Cake’s time of 15:19 was eight seconds off the record jointly held by Jim Garster of Bangor and Tim Wakeland of East Holden, and three seconds ahead of Auburn’s Caron, a UMaine junior who was running the race for the first time.

“Downhill the first mile, it seems like nothing, but it catches up to you on the uphill side,” Caron said. “I’ve been wanting to do it for awhile because I’ve heard a lot about it.”

Cake, who graduated from UMaine in 2001, benefited from the knowledge he’s picked up from his previous seven times running the race.

“It’s a really deceiving course,” said Cake. “Last year I went out and just totally blasted the first mile and was still on pace to break the course record at the two-mile mark and I just blew up on the last hill.”

Hintz had no blowups. Rather, she blew away the course and he rest of the field.

“I was very happy with my race because this was a big test for me and I feel like I’m back now,” said the 16-year-old Stillwater native.

Hintz has been battling the flu for much of the last three weeks. It prevented her from competing in the New England High School Championship meet, but appears to be out of her system now.

“After about the first mile, I figured I was feeling good, but didn’t want to push it until the two-mile mark,” she said.

This is the fifth Turkey Trot race for Hintz, who started running it as a sixth-grader.

“I love road racing and everyone loves this one,” she said.

Belfast High cross country coach Jo-Ann Nealey was the second female runner across the finish line in 18:37.